There’s a new restaurant dedicated to hummus in Vancouver

How many kinds of hummus are in your life? There are actually lots of ways to enjoy the humble chickpea dip, but now there’s a new Vancouver restaurant fully dedicated to hummus.

Balila has recently opened up at 47 West Hastings Street (in the former Smallflower bakery spot) in Gastown. Their focus is on the versatile Middle Eastern dip that is great on its own, kicked up in fresh flavour combos, or paired with meats and veggies in bowls or wraps.

Taking its name from the dish considered to be the precursor to hummus (a warm mix of chickpeas, garlic, salt, lemon juice, cumin and olive oil), Balila has nearly a dozen varieties of hummus on the menu, from classic Garlic to the bold Spicy, or with super colourful and cool veg like beet and kale in the mix.

Wraps or bowls come with hummus paired with things like garlicky lemony chicken, or meatballs, or veg like roasted cauliflower or potatoes. Other dishes include tabbouleh (salad), soups, rice dishes, and of course the original balila.

Lindsay is a Senior Writer at Vancouver Is Awesome. A fifth generation Vancouverite, she was previously the Food Editor of Daily Hive and Senior Editor of Vancity Buzz. Lindsay grew up in Vancouver and Toronto, then spent over 20 years in Los Angeles, where she was EIC of the city's top blog, earned her Masters in English, attended culinary school, and was an English professor. Lindsay's first published piece was December 1980 in The Province; it was her letter to Santa. E-mail: lindsay@vancouverisawesome.com